


Scio te meliorem quam tu facis (I know you better than you do)

by F_and_E_girl



Series: Neque tamen interim obliviscamur solem (Let us not forget the sun) [2]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Fluff, Friendship/Love, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:21:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23953762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/F_and_E_girl/pseuds/F_and_E_girl
Summary: Seven short stories that reveal how Izou and Thatch's relationship has evolved throughout the years.
Relationships: Izou/Thatch (One Piece)
Series: Neque tamen interim obliviscamur solem (Let us not forget the sun) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1676575
Kudos: 11





	1. You smell like autumn.

**Author's Note:**

> These small stories are part of the "Neque tamen interim obliviscamur solem" universe that I am currently shaping. If you would like to understand a little bit more about the story, feel free to drop by and read "Initium aliquid novi" (I have a thing for giving Latin names to my works, it makes them sound cool^^).  
> This fic is based on Marco's thought in the 4th chapter: "He had watched Thatch and Izou as they danced around each other for a long time now. It was common knowledge on the ship that the kimono-clad man had a soft spot for the cook."
> 
> If you do not want to read the fiction that this is based on, it doesn't matter - you can understand this just as well without any context.
> 
> Please take care of yourselves, and I hope that you'll have a nice time delving into Thatch and Izou's adventures, I sure had a fun time writing about them^^  
> I hope you'll enjoy ^^

A young Izou wandered around deck cautiously. It was long past midnight. Whitebeard had allowed him to explore the gigantic ship as much as he wished, but the boy still felt like he'd get scolded for being up at such an hour if anybody were to find him. He wasn't up to any trouble - he couldn't sleep and needed a breath of fresh air.

He walked up to the bow, jumped over the railing, and sat upon the whale-shaped figurehead.

His chin rested on his knees as he contemplated the horizon laid out in front of him. The moonlight graced the calm sea, causing soft sparkles of light to dance across the water. The quiet sound of the small waves hitting the hull soothed him. Izou took deep inhalations, letting the spring air fill his lungs and empty his head.

He'd been on board the Moby Dick for a week now. He was happy with his newfound family, but he couldn't stop himself worrying. He had left his only little sister and his friends in Wano. Izou had made sure that they were in a good situation before he disappeared, they wouldn't go hungry. It still felt wrong though, like he was abandoning them.

"Homesick?" someone asked behind him.

Izou jumped and whipped his head around. He moved so fast that he lost his balance and almost plummeted into the cold ocean below. A hand clasped his wrist, saving him from that fate, and hauled him back towards the balustrade.

"Woah there," his rescuer spoke, "you nearly fell to your death. You shouldn't sit there, it's dangerous!"

The crossdresser shook his hand free of the other's grasp and jumped back over the railing.

Izou inspected him up and down. The boy who had startled him looked to be a bit younger than him. He had gathered his long brown hair in a messy ponytail, and he was a little shorter than the dark-haired dancer. His features hadn't lost their childishness. His chin was soft, and his cheeks still had the plumpness that came with youth. He flashed the crossdresser a big toothy smile.

"You were sitting on the figurehead," the boy chirped. "Only Pops stands there when he wants to frighten our enemies. It's kinda risky if you ask me - you could have fallen off!"

"I know it's a dangerous place. I figured that as long as nobody tried to scare me half to death, I'd be fine." Izou hadn't meant to sound so hostile, but the boy's cheery attitude was starting to rub on his nerves. He felt like he was being made fun of, "and who are you anyway?"

"My name is Thatch!" he declared, ignoring Izou's sourness. "I thought that you looked sad so I came over to see you! What are you doing up so late?" The boy took up a lot of space when he spoke, his voice was loud and wild, and his hands gesticulated widely around him.

"I could ask you the same thing," the crossdresser retorted. "What are you doing out of bed at such an hour?"

The boy's eyes widened like a dear caught in headlights. "Uhm... nothing, definitely not doing anything worth noticing," the boy very obviously lied. He hastily covered his leg with his hand. Izou caught a glimpse of the pocket of his trousers he was trying to hide, there was some sort of recipient in it.

'What is he hiding?' Izou wondered.

"Anyways," Thatch changed the subject, "you're Izou, right? The kid we picked up with Oden last week?"

"I'm not a kid, I'm fairly sure that I'm older than you," he remarked. "How do you know my name?"

"I'm assigned to work in the kitchens. It's the best place to listen to rumours! Everyone's talking about the new kid and the samurai we picked up in Wano!" he grinned as he explained. "They forgot to mention that you were pretty, though."

Izou choked on thin air, what was with this guy? "They didn't mention that I was pretty because I am not," he blushed and looked sideways, a bit embarrassed.

"Sure, you are!" Thatch sat on the floor, leaning his back on the railing. "So what's wrong? You can't tell me you're sitting alone on deck in the middle of the night, looking miserable, for no reason at all. You homesick or something?"

"And what if I am? What could you possibly do about it?" Izou jabbed.

"Well, I left my hometown to come and live on this ship too. I know what it's like to leave everything behind! I wanted to let you know that you could talk to me if ever you needed to," Thatch explained softly.

Izou's irritation faded and gave way to guilt. Thatch wanted to help him, and he'd been nothing but rude in return. He sighed and sat down next to the chore boy. "I'm sorry for being mean," he muttered.

"That's okay," the boy never stopped smiling, "everyone's always a bit on the defensive when they first join the family."

The dancer huffed softly and let himself relax. "What did you want to know?"

"Only what you're willing to tell me, I wanted to know what's gotten you so down!"

They both chatted for hours on end, Izou recounted everything he could remember about his sister, his friends, and his home. In exchange, Thatch told him all he could about his village. They both originated from starving countries, and they both knew how it felt to lose everything. They found a companion in each other. Very fast, Izou felt much better. He would never forget his home, but sharing his story was freeing.

When their conversation quieted, and they ran out of things to talk about, Thatch got up and extended his hand towards Izou. "Come on, let's go back inside it's getting cold."

Indeed, the crossdresser had started shivering. The red and gold kimono Izou used as nightwear was elegant and comfortable, but it wasn't warm."Yeah, let's go. What were you doing out here in the first place?" he questioned.

Thatch grabbed Izou's wrist for the second time that night. He pulled him close to whisper in his ear. The dancer caught a whiff of the chore boy's smell, which was surprisingly nice for a pirate. It reminded Izou of autumn - sour apples and hot chocolate.

"I'll tell because I believe I can trust you," he breathed in Izou's ear. "I was going to prank the second division," he confessed. They kept on making me do their chores yesterday and saying that Pops had ordered me to do them. I'm going to teach their lazy buts a lesson! Please don't say anything though," Thatch implored him.

"You want to prank them? Can I come with you?" Izou was suddenly very interested in where this was going.

Surprise flashed over the chore boy's feature, replaced by a big grin. "I have a feeling you and me are going to be best of friends," he chuckled. He took out of his back pocket the small container he'd been hiding and showed it to his newfound partner in crime. "It's itching powder, "he explained. "I got a load of it on the last island we stopped on. I'm going to smear it all over the second division's toilet seats!"

Izou snickered, "can I help?"

"Of course you can!"


	2. Can you help me out?

All was tranquil in Moby Dick's dorm - everyone was fast asleep.

An occasional grunt or snore would cut through the serenity. Sometimes a rumpling of sheets indicated that a few members were having a restless night. They were pirates, after all - peace of mind could be hard to achieve when you'd killed. Nothing was out of the ordinary.

Izou was amongst them, resting in his hammock, with no such qualms weighing in his mind. 

He had occasionally had to kill people, but he never regretted doing so. Those who met the wrong end of his sword had always been despicable people. Izou was young, but he could discern what was right and wrong in the world with ease.

He liked sleeping amongst his crewmates, the soft sounds they made at night lulled him. They helped him feel secure. 

Izou was one of the lightest sleepers on board the ship. Any out of the ordinary noise could wake him. It was a habit he had acquired on the streets of Wano when he was still struggling for his life. Letting his guard down would have ended with the few belongings he had left getting stolen.

He opened his eyes when the soft thumping of bare feet on the wooden floor echoed through the cabin. Izou could recognise these footsteps anywhere. And while it was clear that the intruder was making a conscious effort not to wake everyone up, he was doing a poor job of it.

"Izou wake up!" Thatch whispered, shaking the hammock. 

"Thatch, do you have any idea what time it is?" Izou groaned drowsily. "The sun isn't even up yet."

"I'm sorry, I know it's early. Can you please come with me? I need your help with something important, please?" he implored.

Izou glanced at the boy in front of him. The younger boy was barely trying to contain his energy to avoid waking the others.  
All was tranquil in Moby Dick's dorm - everyone was fast asleep.

An occasional grunt or snore would cut through the serenity. Sometimes a rumpling of sheets indicated that a few members were having a restless night. They were pirates, after all - peace of mind could be hard to achieve when you'd killed. Nothing was out of the ordinary.

Izou was amongst them, resting in his hammock, with no such qualms weighing in his mind. 

He had occasionally had to kill people, but he never regretted doing so. Those who met the wrong end of his sword had always been despicable people. Izou was young, but he could discern what was right and wrong in the world with ease.

He liked sleeping amongst his crewmates, the soft sounds they made at night lulled him. They helped him feel secure. 

Izou was one of the lightest sleepers on board the ship. Any out of the ordinary noise could wake him. It was a habit he had acquired on the streets of Wano when he was still struggling for his life. Letting his guard down would have ended with the few belongings he had left getting stolen.

He opened his eyes when the soft thumping of bare feet on the wooden floor echoed through the cabin. Izou could recognise these footsteps anywhere. And while it was clear that the intruder was making a conscious effort not to wake everyone up. He was doing a poor job of it.

"Izou wake up!" Thatch whispered, shaking the hammock. 

"Thatch, do you have any idea what time it is?" Izou groaned drowsily. "The sun isn't even up yet."

"I'm sorry, I know it's early. Can you please come with me? I need your help with something important, please?" he implored.

"I'm sorry, I know it's early. Can you please come with me? I need your help with something important, please?" he implored.

Izou, now fully awake, glanced at the boy in front of him. He was barely trying to contain his energy to avoid waking the others.

The two of them were early birds they could wake up at any hour without a struggle. Some of their other brothers had more troubles in the morning. Namely, Vista, he looked like a mix between Shakespeare and Cousin Itt before he had his coffee.

"What is it?" Izou chirped.

"Oi kids, get out of here, we're trying to sleep," a grouchy crewmate complained half-asleep.

"Sorry," the boys said in unison. Thatch grabbed Izou's hand and directed him to one of the communal bathrooms.

The light was already on when they reached the room.

"So, what is this all about?"

"Okay," Thatch cleared his throat. "You're pretty good at doing hair, right?" Izou nodded, and the younger boy grabbed a leaflet on the side of the sink. "I found this in town today! Look at this guy, there!" he pointed at a middle-aged man drawn on to the paper. "His hair is super cool, and I want to do the same with mine! I've been trying to shape it like him for a while, but I can't get it to stick," he sulked.

Izou grabbed the pamphlet and looked closer at the funky looking man depicted on it. "You want your hair in a pompadour style?" he asked, genuinely surprised.

"That's what it's called? It's so cool! I'm sure I'll be super handsome with my hair like that!" he declared.

Izou had been on board the Moby Dick for a few months now, Marco and Thatch had become his best friends. He spent his whole days with the two of them, playing, and more often than not getting up to trouble. They got into a lot of arguments, but they always stood up for each other. Since he spent so much time with them, he thought he knew the two of them well. He hadn't seen this sudden interestest for pompadour hairstyles coming at all though.

"Sure," he chuckled. "I'll do it for you today, and I'll explain what I'm doing so that you can do your hair by yourself tomorrow, okay?"

Thatch beamed, "Thank you!"

The aspiring cook was a fast learner, but his hands weren't nimble enough to get his style right on the first go. Izou styled his hair every morning for several weeks before Thatch got the hang of it.

For Izou, it was all worth it the moment the chore boy flashed him the happiest smile he had ever seen.


End file.
